74 
THE NEW YORK AQUARIUM JOURNAL 
as being an elongated cylinder covered with 
hard shining scales joined, and leaving as 
vulnerable points only the throat and gills, 
the eyes, and the part just under the pectoral 
fins. The head, which at the first view is the 
most marked feature, is furnished with jaws 
of great length, and hence the name, gar- 
pike—gar signi¬ 
fying a dart or 
pointed weapon. 
Much ignorance 
prevails as to 
their food and 
habits of captnr- 
ing it. The 
structure of the 
jaw would seem 
to indicate their 
ravenous na¬ 
ture, but Prof. 
Wilder foundin 
the stomachs of 
two,taken in the 
Illinois river,on- 
ly a few grass¬ 
hoppers. These 
jaws are fur¬ 
nished with rows 
of very sharp 
and closely set 
teeth. Little is 
yet known, of 
- 
tion, we will be compelled to forego a more 
extended reference to this interesting species. 
With the remaining fish figured in the first 
illustration, the reader is doubtless thoroughly 
familiar, excepting possibly the so-called 
fresh water dog-fish, which was secured in 
the Detroit River, and which may be recog¬ 
feeding, though 
it is hoped that 
the observations 
now being made at the Aquarium may serve 
to enlighten us on this point. The gar-pike 
(Lepidosteus osseus) at times attains a length 
of five feet. In addition to these species 
there are the short-nosed and alligator gars, 
which, as their names indicate, have short 
and broad snouts; and 
the latter of which grows 
to a size exceeding either 
of the other species, and 
are found in the southern 
part of the Mississippi 
valley. The gar has a pe¬ 
culiar habit of extending 
its snout above the water 
at regular intervals and 
emitting a large bubble of 
air. In the confinement 
of the Aquarium this hab¬ 
it has not, however, been 
specially noticed, though 
it has been observed that 
they still prefer to remain 
near the surface, which 
position the artist has as¬ 
signed to them in the 
sketch. For food the 
gar is not regarded with 
favor, though it is some¬ 
times eaten at the west. 
As it is not our purpose 
to give more than a brief 
reference to the fish which 
the artists have chosen as 
subjects for their illustra¬ 
SALMON, LAKE TROUT,SBROOK.TROUT YELLOW SPERCH, ETC. 
nized by its long dorsal fin. Good specimens 
of this fish and the others figured in the 
illustration may be seen in fresh water tank, 
No. 43. 
Passing to the second illustration we find 
ourselves again among old acquaintances, 
THE FRESH-WATER SHEEPS-HEAD.iDOC-FISH, PERCH AND SUN-FISH. 
since the salmon and the lake and brook 
trout have become thoroughly at home in 
tank 53. In addition to these larger speci¬ 
mens the young of these fish have all been 
hatched in the neighboring troughs, and not 
only does the visitor know “ what they are,” 
but can also tell by actual observation “ from 
whence they 
came. 
Again, in the 
third sketch, we 
find so faithful 
a portrayal of 
other species 
that hardly is a 
reference need¬ 
ed. In clos- 
ing we are 
prompted t o 
state, however, 
that the mana¬ 
ger of the 
Aquarium de¬ 
serves our sin¬ 
cere congratu¬ 
lation in the 
success which 
has attended his 
effort to procure 
and preserve 
these many val¬ 
uable and inter- 
mens for our 
native fresh 
water fish. 
Though many of them were captured at a 
great distance and transported under peculiar 
difficulties, the losses among this class is be¬ 
low what might have been expected, though 
a like good fortune has not attended his 
efforts with certain other varieties. A per¬ 
sistent determination to 
accomplish his purpose 
will, however, soon be re¬ 
warded by the presence 
of a whale, shark and 
octopus, not to mention 
many new and rare varie¬ 
ties of the smaller, though 
hardly less interesting, 
forms. Included among 
these latter are the many 
rare and beautiful species 
of sea anemones, a col¬ 
lection of sea-horses and 
also a full display of the 
many-hued tropical fish 
from our Southern coasts 
and the West India 
islands. These coming 
wonders, together with 
those now presented, will 
serve to confirm the 
statement that the New 
York Aquarium, though 
but six months old, is 
yet an institution of 
which the manager and 
our citizens may justly 
be proud. w. s. w. 
